When major life events occur, such as death, disability, and unemployment, child support help is often needed. During these times, custodial parents will need help determining how to continue to collect child support, and non-custodial parents will need help determining how to continue to pay child support. Here is some information for parents in need of child support help during periods of uncertainty.
1. Death and Child Support Payments
When a non-custodial parent dies, it is difficult for a custodial parent to determine how he/she can continue to collect child support. Child support is even more complicated if a custodial parent dies and a third party assumes custody of a child, which leaves the new custodial parent to figure out collecting child support from a custodial parent's estate.
2. Unemployment and Child Support Payments
Unemployment may have a serious effect on a non-custodial parent's ability to continue to pay child support. However, a parent has several options to continue child support payments while searching for new employment, including paying child support from unemployment wages.
3. Disability and Child Support Payments
Temporary or permanent disability will have an effect on a parent's ability to continue to pay child support. However, a disabled parent has options. For example, a parent who is receiving disability income can continue child support payments if he/she is receiving disability insurance payments.